Featured video

Description: A synthetic narcotic, fentanyl has been detected in an increasing number of illicit drug overdose deaths in Metro Vancouver. Many of the people who died were recreational and/or occasional users and don’t appear to have known they were ingesting fentanyl, as it is easily hidden in other drugs.

Buchignani: A thought and a prayer for Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher, F1’s most successful driver of all time, remains in a medically indiced coma in Grenoble, France, after suffering a skiing accident late last year.

Photograph by: Phil Carpenter
, The Gazette

Michael Schumacher. There. Right at the front, where he’s been so many times before.

In my 15 years of writing about Formula One, that’s the spot Schumacher took up so often in this column as he went about rewriting the record books.

Now, amid the excitement of the Canadian Grand Prix, it’s easy to forget that F1’s most successful driver of all time remains in a coma in Grenoble, France. It does not help that there has been no official update on his condition for two months, not from the hospital or his family or management.

Without intention, the prolonged silence has served to push him further out of our consciousness and to dim our hopes that he might recover from the skiing accident he suffered late last year. Not that anyone should be blamed for wanting to protect the privacy and dignity of their loved one. More than a race-car driver, Schumacher, 45, is a human being above all, a husband and a father of two teenage children.

Still, the lack of news brings the unwanted risk that we abandon from our thoughts the man who provided so much racing excitement over two decades in F1, whether you cheered for him or not.

This is my small effort not to succumb to that risk, to make sure Grand Prix weekend does not pass without his presence in this space and in my thoughts.

Similarly, organizers of the race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve have instructed the public-address announcers to invite spectators to spare a thought or prayer for the seven-time champion and his family. It’s a small gesture, but classy and welcome. I hope the television broadcasters who bring our Grand Prix into millions of homes around the world will follow suit.

There will be at least one other, more subtle reminder: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will carry the message #KeepFightingMichael on the bodywork of their Mercedes cars, as they have all season.

Over the years, Schumacher made no secret that Montreal was among his favourite stops on the racing calendar. The German typically extended his stay to enjoy the Laurentian outdoors, and took side trips to the U.S. Midwest to share his wife’s passion for horseback riding.

Seven of his record 91 race wins in F1 were earned at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, more than any other driver. The image that sticks in my mind has him emerging victorious and sweaty from the Ferrari garage and making a beeline for the paddocks to kiss his wife, Corinna.

Schumacher’s last appearance here was in the cockpit of a Mercedes, in 2012, his final season in F1 and the start of what was supposed to be a happy and quiet retirement away from the media glare.

How sad, tragic and ironic that a slow-speed ski fall should intervene after 20 years of racing at 300 km/h.

Two weeks ago, in Monaco, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso spoke with emotion about his former foe after replacing him as captain during a charity soccer match in the principality.

“We knew him to be so strong, determined, invincible,” Alonso was quoted as saying. “What’s happened to him seems surreal.

“He was a hero, even to me, when I was racing karts. One day, I found myself facing him in F1. It was Michael Schumacher, the Michael we still hold dear in our hearts. And we’re waiting for him to awake.”

Last month, Sebastian Vettel, the current four-time champion, indicated in a German news magazine that he felt haunted by the tragedy that struck his compatriot and mentor.

“It’s hard for me to talk about it,” Vettel was quoted as saying. “I’m still shocked. Michael’s accident shows how quickly things can change.”

As for an official update on Schumacher’s status, there has been none since April 3. The hard facts are that he has been in a medically induced coma since Dec. 29, the day he fell and hit his head on a rock, splitting his helmet, while skiing in the French Alps resort of Meribel. A month later, doctors began what was described as “the waking up process.”

Last week, I contacted his public-relations manager, Sabine Kehm, to check for developments. If there were any, she wasn’t saying. She simply referred me to the same statement she had issued two months before.

The lack of new information after all this time suggests we should fear the worst. And yet the statement is filled with hopeful words. Frankly, it’s hard to know what to think. For the record, here’s the statement in full:

“Michael is making progress on his way. He shows moments of consciousness and awakening. We are on his side during his long and difficult fight, together with the team of the hospital in Grenoble, and we keep remaining confident.

“We would like to thank you all for the continuous sympathies. At the same time we again ask for understanding that we do not intend to disclose details. This is necessary to protect the privacy of Michael and his family, and to enable the medical team to work in full calmness.”

A final thought, and prayer, from me: Next time I write about Michael Schumacher in this column, let it be, against the odds, happy news.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.